awaz do

Working children in the age group of 5-14 years

The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children in 18 occupations and 65 Processes and regulates the working conditions of the children in employment where they are not prohibited from working. According to the Census 2001 figures there were 1.26 crores working children in the age group of 5-14 out of which approximately 12 Lakhs children were working in Hazardous Occupations and Processes. However, as per survey conducted by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in 2004-05, the number of working children was estimated 90.75 lakh.

The State-wise data on working children in the age group of 5-14 years as per the Census of 2001 is given below. However, sector wise data is not available.

Sl. No

Name of the State/UT

2001

Andhra Pradesh

1363339

Assam

351416

Bihar

1117500

Gujarat

485530

Haryana

253491

Himachal Pradesh

107774

Jammu & Kashmir

175630

Karnataka

822615

Kerala

26156

Madhya Pradesh

1065259

Maharashtra

764075

Chhattisgarh

364572

Manipur

28836

Meghalaya

53940

Jharkhand

407200

Uttarakhand

70183

Nagaland

45874

Orissa

377594

Punjab

177268

Rajasthan

1262570

Sikkim

16457

Tamil Nadu

418801

Tripura

21756

Uttar Pradesh

1927997

West Bengal

857087

Andaman & Nicobar Island

1960

Arunanchal Pradesh

18482

Chandigarh

3779

Dadra & Nagar Haveli

4274

Delhi

41899

Daman and Diu

729

Goa

4138

Lakshadweep

27

Mizoram

26265

Pondicherry

1904

Total

12666377

As per the information available the state wise data on prosecutions launched during 2007-08 to 2009-10 is as follows:

Name of State / UT

Prosecutions launched during 2007-08 to 2009-10

1

Andmn & Nico I. U.T.

0

2

Andhra Pradesh

2708

3

Arunachal Pradesh

*

4

Assam

17

5

Bihar

4089

6

Chandigarh U.T.

15

7

Chhattisgarh

103

8

Dadra & Nagar H. U.T.

*

9

Daman & Diu U.T.

*

10

Delhi U.T.

703

11

Goa

*

12

Gujarat

700

13

Haryana

486

14

Himachal Pradesh

3

15

Jammu & Kashmir

20

16

Jharkhand

119

17

Karnataka

1375

18

Kerala

1

19

Lakshadweep U.T.

*

20

Madhya Pradesh

83

21

Maharashtra

468

22

Manipur

*

23

Meghalaya

*

24

Mizoram

*

25

Nagaland

*

26

Orissa

294

27

Pondicherry U.T.

0

28

Punjab

954

29

Rajasthan

41

30

Sikkim

0

31

Tamil Nadu

679

32

Tripura

*

33

Uttar Pradesh

1900

34

Uttarakhand

6

35

West Bengal

14

Total

14778

* Information awaited

The Government is following a robust multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem of child labour. It comprises of statutory and legislative measures, rescue and rehabilitation, universal primary education, poverty alleviation and employment generation scheme. The objective is to create an environment where families are not compelled to send their children to work. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits employment of children below the age of 14 years in 18 occupations and 65 processes. For the rehabilitation of Child Labour, Government is implementing National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme in 266 districts in 20 states with the coverage of 8710 schools. Under the NCLP scheme children withdrawn from work are admitted into the special schools where they are provided with bridging education, vocational training, stipend, health care and mainstreamed to the regular education system.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shri Harish Rawat gave this information in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.